My vision for Hapkido is in three parts, all interwoven and interconnected.  The first, and simplest part, is of Hapkido as an effective tool for self-defense.  Proper training will lead to the ability to defend oneself adequately in a physical altercation.  That same training, however, also leads to the ability to see problems looming and take steps in advance to avoid them.  The simplest example would be avoiding a bad area or crossing a street to put some distance between you and a potential attacker.  Another example would be in learning breakfall techniques.  I may or may not ever be in a fight, but, sooner or later, I am going to slip on the ice.  Breakfalls work there as well and effectively protect the Hapkido practitioner from injury.

The second part would be Hapkido as exercise and as a social activity.  Training in Hapkido leads to physical fitness and flexibility.  Training partners, as a result of common interests and lots of time in spent together on the mat, often become close friends.  My closest friends over a 23-year diplomatic career in five countries are those from the schools in which I trained.  My martial art involvement opened whole segments of society which likely otherwise would have remained closed.

The final, and most complex, part of my vision of Hapkido is as a laboratory for the study of violence.  Humans have a long, long history of violence toward one another.  I believe that many begin their study of the martial arts due to some sort of issue with violence – they like it, hate it, fear it, are attracted by it, want to control it (in themselves or in others), want to understand more about it.  There are many possibilities and other reasons as well.  At any rate, on the mat, we train in ways of dealing with violent attacks, often with defenses which involve violence themselves.  Certainly, we do so with control and in a way so as to avoid injuries.  The practice, however, leads to greater knowledge of what violence is or can do to a person, whether he or she is the perpetrator or victim.  I believe this training can help us to make ourselves better people and better members of society.  This is the real goal of Hapkido.